Spie Press Book

This Field Guide covers the various components and types of active electro-optical sensors—referred to as lidars in the text—from simple 2D direct-detection lidars to multiple subaperture synthetic aperture lidars. Other topics covered include receivers, apertures, atmospheric effects, and appropriate processing of different lidars. Lasers and modulation are presented in terms of their use in lidars. The lidar range equation in its many variations is discussed along with receiver noise issues that determine how much signal must be received to detect an object. This book is a handy reference to quickly look up any aspect of active electro-optical sensors. It will be useful to students, lidar scientists, or engineers needing an occasional reminder of the correct approaches or equations in certain applications, and systems engineers interested in gaining a perspective on this rapidly growing technology.

This Field Guide covers active electro-optical sensing, in
which a sensor sends out a laser pulse and then measures
the parameters of the return signal. Various groups refer to
this type of sensor as a ladar, lidar, LIDAR, LADAR, or
laser radar. For simplicity, only the term lidar is used
throughout this book.

The book is presented from the perspective of a lidar
engineer. It covers a wide breadth, from simple 2D directdetection
lidars to multiple subaperture synthetic aperture
lidars. It also covers a broad range of objects to be viewed,
and distances from which to view the objects. Lasers and
modulation are discussed in the context of their use in
lidars. Other topics covered include receivers, apertures,
and atmospheric effects in the context of lidar use and
design.

All lidars will be limited by the media between the lidar
and the target, but atmospheric compensation techniques
can often mitigate this limitation. These limitations and
compensation approaches are presented. Many types of
lidars are included along with appropriate data processing
techniques. The lidar range equation in its many variations
is discussed along with receiver noise issues that determine
how much signal must be received to detect an object.

This Field Guide is a handy reference to quickly access
information on any aspect of lidars. It will be useful to
students and lidar scientists or engineers who need an
occasional reminder of the correct approaches or equations
to use in certain applications. It will also be useful to
systems engineers gaining a perspective on this rapidly
growing technology.